A Guide to Liver Cleansing and Deep Healing

Oh the liver! Our livers really do so much for us. At the most basic level, our liver plays a major role in digestion, metabolism, immunity, and storage of nutrients. According to Chinese medicine, the liver (the system, not just the organ) is responsible for the smooth flow of emotions including Qi and blood. Unfortunately, many of us experience ongoing liver symptoms, as we're living in a culture full of processed foods and chemicals that lead to congested, toxic, and stagnant livers.

The stresses of our daily lives, combined with the chemicals we’re exposed to, leave us full of toxins, and with yucky liver symptoms like headaches or migraines, PMS, acne, hormone imbalances, anger and irritability. From an energetic or emotional perspective, our liver is also a storehouse for our old pain and traumas. It’s so important that we clean out, detox, and restore our livers! 

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Cleansing the liver takes time and a commitment to self care, diet, and emotional healing. It will require a shift in habits and priorities. A combination of diet, lifestyle, essentials oils, and emotional clearing, can help restore you to health.

Other Liver Symptoms Include: 
Headaches Migraines
Allergies
High Cholesterol
High Triglycerides
Digestive Issues
Fluctuation in Blood Sugar
Sleep and mental disturbance
Mental confusion
Depression
Sensitivity to medicines, foods, and chemicals
Heavy or clotted menstruation in women
Irregular periods
Fibroids in breast or uterus
Hot flashes
Cysts on ovaries
Mood swings or any menopausal problems

Use the tips below to bring your liver back to a state of wellness! If practiced daily, you’ll see a difference quickly and significant improvement over time.

1. Follow a liver cleansing diet:

Enjoy a whole food and easy to digest diet.  The goal is to get our body the nutrients it needs, as easily as possible, without creating additional strain, stagnation, or congestion for the liver, The body needs healthy fats, protein, fiber and lots of minerals! A daily whole food multi-vitamin and mineral, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12, Probiotic, and Fish Oil can be a great way to support your healing diet.  Unlike an adrenal diet, where the body is often operating from a place of deficiency, a liver cleansing diet requires less fat and fewer heavy proteins. To cleanse the liver, and therefore clean out the blood, we need to increase our cleansing foods and decrease our building foods.

Foods to Avoid:

• Sugar
• Processed foods
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Excess Dairy, consider using only aged/ fermented dairy or none at all
• Gluten
• Soy
• Most grains, feel free to add sprouted quinoa or rice once per day
• Too many starchy carbs
• Processed meats and too much meat in general
• Hydrogenated oils and too many oil rich foods (even healthy fats)
• Strictly no processed foods

Food to Enjoy:

• Lemon and other citrus
• Garlic
• Fermented foods
• Root vegetables and squashes
• Leafy greens
• Broccoli Sprouts, Cilantro, Parsley
• Some fruit, especially green apples or berries
• Avocado and other healthy fats
• Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, etc.)
• Wild caught fish
• Free-range chicken and turkey
• Bone broth
• Fresh pressed green and fruit juices (lots of these!)
• Nuts, such as walnuts and almonds, preferably sprouted, but not too many
• Seeds, such as pumpkin, chia and flax
• Beets and beet greens
• Tumeric
• Tomato sauces
• Avocado

A daily diet of raw fresh green juice or raw vegetables can help cleanse the liver.  Watch out here for digestive symptoms and move towards steamed vegetables if you develop spleen and digestive chi deficiency. Be sure that all vegetables are organic and fresh. Juicing allows us to have the cleansing benefits of vegetables, with less strain on digestion. This is important for a stressed liver! For juicing, add carrots, beets, cucumber, celery, cilantro, or parsley. For meals, add sweet potatoes, beet greens, spinach, garlic, citrus fruit, avocado, and tomato sauces into your diet whenever possible. Eat less meat and no dairy. Don't overdo it on nuts. Walnuts are the best nut for the liver. Add herbs such as milk thistle, dandelion, and tumeric.

2. Lifestyle and Exercise:

If you have liver symptoms, it’s time to get moving!  Moving stagnation and blocked emotions requires moving your body.  If you have liver stagnation along with blood deficiency, you will need to also be careful to get enough calories from your diet to not further aggravate the liver. In addition to exercise, find time to take it easy, listen to your body, and nourish yourself! If you're suffering from liver symptoms, your body is giving you a clear message that you need to cleanse and move. Find a balance between action and rest. Let go of all unnecessary commitments. 

Consider adding Castor Oil packs to your regimen to remove toxins from the liver. Castor oil packs help to detoxify the liver naturally and gently. You'll find that castor oil packs are both soothing and healing. Directions are at the bottom of this article!

Liver toxicity is also greatly affected by toxins and chemicals in our environment.  Remove all household chemicals. This includes all cleaning products, detergents, and toiletries. There are many toxins in mainstream household products (too many to list here). Your goal is to replace your household products with natural, non-toxic alternatives.

3. Essential Oils:

Essential oils are a great way to support the liver, decrease stress and anxiety, and improve mood.  If your toxic liver is causing symptoms such as anger or depression, using essential oils to help sooth these emotions, will help you through your cleansing.  Essential oils can also be used to support detoxification and to decrease detox symptoms. You can apply a blend of these oils in a carrier oil just below the right ribs. The most common oils for providing direct support to the liver are:

• Carrot Seed, Peppermint (avoid using in the evening or during the night), Lavender, Geranium, Cypress, Chamomile, Grapefruit

Other essential oils to help manage stress and anger include:

• Lavender, Rosemary, Vetiver, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Chamomile, Frankincense, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Lime, Ginger

4. Healing on Every Level:

Healing happens when we access our wellness on all levels.  Take time to tune into your inner voice. Learn to listen to what you body is telling you.  Illness and symptoms can be an opportunity to uncover emotional or spiritual blocks, such as trauma, that may be stored in your liver.  By doing this, you release yourself from old memories or thoughts that are no longer useful, holding you back from healing, and causing liver symptoms. This is also an opportunity to practice self love and deepen self care. Here are a few affirmations that can help you re-write your internal messaging from one of anger, trauma, and toxicity, to that of wholeness and wellness.  Use affirmations when you are feeling particularly unwell or vulnerable or just a few times a day. You’ll be amazed at what a difference this can make!

From Louise Hay
I Love My Liver.
I let go of everything I no longer need. I joyfully release all irritation, criticism and condemnation. My consciousness is now cleansed and healed. Everything in my life is in Divine Right Order. Everything that happens is for my highest good and greatest joy. I find love everywhere in my life. I choose the thoughts that heal, cleanse and uplift me. I love and appreciate my beautiful liver!

-My mind is cleansed  and free. I leave the past and move into the new. All is well.
-My liver and gallbladder are being restored to their natural perfect state
-I am healthy, I am well, I am learning and growing always
-I am confident in my full recovery
-I love and approve of myself.  
-It is safe for me to care for myself

In addition to affirmations, practice daily energy cleansing techniques to establish new patterns and release old energy.  Commit to a meditation or yoga practice. Welcome the emotions and pain that rise to the surface. Cleansing the liver is all about letting go.  You will likely feel increased anger and resentment. Welcome it and let it pass through!

5. Consider Deeper Cleansing:  

The above tips often resolve liver stagnation and toxicity along with supporting your overall wellness. If you’re still feeling stuck, you may want to follow up with deeper cleansing, supplements, and liver cleansing support such as acupuncture, shamanic healing or energy work.  Trust your body and your intuition, both to heal, and to let you know if you need additional care. 

I wholeheartedly recommend a gentle, deeper cleanse of 10-30 days. I also see many people move liver stagnation with coffee enemas, intermittent fasting, and weekly full day juice fasts.

In addition to an increase in emotional symptoms, deeper cleansing can accelerate our physical symptoms as our livers release toxicity and past hurt.  Your acne or migraines may be worse, but you are on the right track. Stay on the journey!

Sending you loads of energy, joy and wellness!!!
-Mitten


Below are instructions for making and using a castor oil pack (courtesy of Daniel H. Chong, ND):      

• Fold flannel three layers thick so it is still large enough to fit over your liver (the whole area around and just under your right ribs below your breasts), or stack the three squares.
• Soak flannel with the oil so that it is completely saturated. The oil should be at room temperature.
• Lie on your back with your feet elevated (using a pillow under your knees and feet works well), placing flannel pack directly onto your liver area; cover oiled flannel with the sheet of plastic, and place the hot water bottle on top of the plastic.
• Cover everything with the old towel to insulate the heat. Take caution not to get the oil on whatever you are laying on, as it can stain. If necessary, cover that surface with something to protect it.
• Leave pack on for 30-45 minutes.
• (Be sure to wash the towel by itself, as the castor oil can make other clothes stink if washed together.)
• You can reuse the pack several times, each time adding more oil as needed to keep the pack saturated. Store the pack in a large zip-lock bag or other plastic container in a convenient location, such as next to your bed. Replace the pack after it begins to change color.
• For maximum effectiveness, apply at least four consecutive days per week for one month. Patients who use the pack daily report the most benefits.

Disclaimer: 
Only a physician can diagnose, treat, and prescribe for illness or disease. As an herbalist, I neither diagnose nor treat disease. Nor do I prescribe remedies. The human body has the innate power to heal itself. Without this power to self-heal, even the most advanced medications and procedures would ultimately fail. The role of the herbalist in this healing process is to consider the client as a whole person and to consult with the client concerning changes in lifestyle, diet, and supplementation of herbs and/or vitamins to foster an increased state of balance and health. Thus maximizing the body's self-healing capabilities. Journey to Wellness, LLC encourages and advises clients to seek professional medical advice regarding any illness or disease they are suffering from. Background health information can aid in the process of a holistic, herbal program and therefore can be shared at the time of the herbal consultation. Any concerns about your health and supplementation with herbs or diet should be done in consultation with your physician. Although speculative interactions between herbs and drugs are sometimes publicized, confirmed cases are rare. It is the responsibility of the client to discuss with their physician possible interactions of herbal supplements and medications. I am not liable for any possible adverse reactions and side effects of the herbal supplements you decide to take. The client or reader must accept ownership and responsibility for their own health; including negative consequences and positive outcomes.